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About Me

Here
I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international
consultants. About living in Italy, the Veneto area near Venice; in Indonesia,
central Java. Why we love the southeast of the United States and moved back from
Italy. Our love for gardening, the botanical way. Sharing with you our manifold
treasures from exotic places and even offering several in my Mariette's Back to
Basics LLC Boutique, for others to enjoy. As well as high end silver items from
Giovanni Raspini, Italy |
google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

I
also do classes and consulting... too much to list here! Check out my google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedderABOUT page, where you see my other LINKS and email address; you just scroll down.Thanks!

Love to
bring back some romance and quality to the daily life of others...

Translate to ANY Language | Click on▼ to select, than on ► to translate...

Thursday, July 31, 2014

On Tuesday, July 23 of 1996 we got this teak Barlow Tyrie Capri Lounger delivered, complete with cushion. It served us well, all those years but last year we had it professionally painted WHITE, together with the teak round table.

Yes, we still support the color 'Orange' being Dutch by birth and American by choice!

We found this umbrella with stand at +Tuesday Morning and the stand got painted green, like our outdoor shutters.

We love the round teak table and the Capri Lounger being painted white.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Thank you so much for visiting my humble blog and for leaving comments!

On July 21, Country # 195 visited; welcome Papua New Guinea!

That is quick because on July 9, Country # 194 visited...

Comments are off.

For the Dutch Wednesday is a National Day of Mourning for all the victims of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 and we of course are very much with our birth country in thoughts and prayer...
Also very proud of the way they handled this with respect and dignity with the King and Queen being present in TOGETHERNESS.
Repeat ceremony for today and tomorrow as the other remains will arrive.

Monday, July 21, 2014

For his birthday a couple of months ago, my husband Pieter got this trio of very cute YOGA FROGS that now reside on our patio!

Don't you just LOVE these guys?

They are about the true size of a bullfrog.

Just rescued one this week, our cats had brought him inside the staircase area...

They go well with our pots on the patio...

Wishing you a lovely and relaxed Saturday evening + Sunday!
~~0~~
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.
My VandenMunckhof family from Australia did return safely to Kuala Lumpur on the very same MH17 flight; next day from Amsterdam. This flight will be retired next week... Guess my Uncle & Aunt with cousins (8 together) will have arrived by now at their home in Adelaide.

You can see here my 1st cousin Elizabeth being interviewd in Kuala Lumpur by ninemsn news Australia... my aunt to the right.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Another recipe for those that like to know the SECRET FOR MY SIZE AND WEIGHT... Belgian Endive Salad with Chia Seeds, the Antioxidant SuperFoods item that is good for Iron Boost and Good for Blood Sugar Level.

We both LOVE any type of salad...

Trader Joe's did sell these 2-colored Belgian Endive as a pack of 3.

My Dad as well as husband Pieter's Dad used to grow Belgian Endive during the winter season but at that time there only was one color, no red ones yet. They look a lot like Radicchio.

Important to remove the often bitter end part, with a pointed knife...

A very quick and easy dressing with Reduced Fat Mayonaise from +Trader Joe's and I added some brown rice vinegar but you can use any type you like!

With Chia seeds being added you have to keep in mind that they work gelatinous. Best to make this dressing right before serving!

Sorry for the poor photos, made them real quick with my iPad (still not having a new camera at the time...)

But here you can see how I kind of hollowed out the often bitter end part of the Belgian Endive.

Cutting them first length wise... than slicing them up.

Those ends will brown easily so also here it's best to go ahead and add them to the dressing at once.

And voilà: a very healthy and tasty Belgian Endive Salad with Chia Seeds!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Well, since we lost our Fuji camera at the +HYATT House Miami Airport where it more than likely was placed on top of the safe deposit when we were packing up and checking out; we got a new one.
When we did call the hotel about it, nothing had been found; sad but true. The housekeeping people were already knocking on our door twice, before we rolled out at noon. With our Platinum card we are allowed to check out as late as 2:00 PM.
In that dark closet without any light, for ironing board and safe deposit, which is on the floor, one can easily forget an item. Pieter had to get on his knees for unloading the safe; laptop, iPad, camera etc... We cannot blame him or myself. Just bad fate!

Costco did have a Nikon D3300 DSLR Camera 2 Lens Bundle on sale so that's what we got!

Dad's younger brother is on his knees, far left, showing off his SHORT SUIT

Dad's cousin is to the far right, wearing his SHORT SUIT, even being peg-legged...

To the left of my Paternal Great-Grandmother (with the white Lace Toer - see more info below post) is my favorite Great-Uncle 'Heeroom'...

MORE Short Suits...
My Paternal Grandparents showing off their 11 children in the spring of 1935!
My aunt Mia to the left, followed by my Dad in his Short Suit and lined up are three more of my uncles; each also in their Short Suit. The little ones are wearing shorts with a sweater.
The family was not yet complete here; there was to follow one more boy... 12 children total!

To the left is my husband Pieter with his elder brothers; All wearing their Short Suit!
The eldest is without jacket but also showing the long black, above the knee socks like my Dad and his brothers wore in the above photo...

Here again husband Pieter (left) is showing a more casual version of Short Suit with knee socks. Guess he escaped the period of having to wear those long black, above the knee socks!
He proudly stands next to another bee keeper with his four bee hive boxes in the late summer of 1944.
It looks like the present Short Suits got their origin from this Youth version...

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Wishing all Citizens of the United States of America a very Happy 238th Independance Day!

This is last year's photo from our home with the US and Georgia flags displayed, for the 237th 4th of July...

A happy husband Pieter in 2004, with our foster-daughter Anita from Indonesia in front of the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania...
She stayed with us for two months after she graduated from the University Dian Nuswantoro of Semarang

video showing the very first public singing of 'GOD BLESS AMERICA' by Kate Smith